The Oro Cache Mine was a small gold producer in the Beaverhead Mountains near Salmon. It is at the head of Freeman Creek, and was the largest mine in the tiny Carmen Creek Mining District.
The mine was supposedly discovered in 1897, and was developed rapidly. It operated intermittently until closing in 1907. Based off of the remnants at the site, it appears that little work was attempted since then.
Most of the remnants at the mine are around the millsite. The mill has been flattened by years of avalanches, but most of the equipment remains. At the site are a strange gear driven set of 10 stamps, a boiler, jaw crusher, and air compressor.
The stamps are flattened and partially buried in timber. They have rather large cams, which would have made them drop farther (and therefore harder) than most stamps. Instead of a normal wooden drive wheel, they have a cast iron gear. This is an especially strange feature as the vibration of stamps generally deterred people from using a cast drive. A wooden wheel could survive much better and would have been cheaper to replace. The cams were cast “McFarlane & Co. Denver Col”.
